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HEALTHY RECIPES COLLECTIONS

Diabetic Diet Recipes and Menus

Diabetic Diet

Featured Recipes: Elise's Sesame Noodles, Asian Tofu Salad, Vegetable Lover’s Chicken Soup, Red Curry with Vegetables

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Options abound in this collection of diabetes-appropriate recipes.

“It’s time to debunk the myth of the ‘diabetic diet,’” says EatingWell nutrition editor and author Joyce Hendley. If you have diabetes, you don’t have to eat special foods or be excluded from what “everyone else” is eating. Current guidelines for diabetes are, in fact, the same as those for the population at large. “Everyone else,” says Hendley, “should be taking their cue from what’s on your plate.”

Most of our diabetes-appropriate recipes are low in calories (and between 1 to 2 1/2 carbohydrate servings), but any EatingWell recipe can fit into your diet. That’s because they are based on core principles:

No food is a magic bullet or forbidden fruit
Variety and sensible portions are key
Whole foods trump processed foods
Plant foods should be embraced, along with low-fat dairy, fish, lean meats and poultry
Unsaturated “good fats” and interesting seasonings keep food tasty and healthy; saturated and trans fats weigh it down

Enjoy these delicious diabetes-appropriate recipes and menus. For further exploration, see our EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook.

Main Dishes | Sides | Salads | Desserts | Snacks & Apps | Menus

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Diabetic Diet Main Dishes

Diabetic Diet Sides

Diabetic Diet Salads

Diabetic Diet Desserts

Diabetic Diet Snacks & Appetizers

For more Diabetes Appropriate recipes, use Advanced Recipe Search

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Diabetic Diet Menus

Quick Weeknight Supper
Fennel-Crusted Salmon on White Beans
Crunchy Pear & Celery Salad

Easy Entertaining Menu
Mixed Greens with Berries & Honey-Glazed Hazelnuts
Chicken Cutlets with Grape-Shallot Sauce
Mixed Berry-Almond Gratin

Sunday Night Supper
Sirloin & Portobello Stew
Red & White Salad
Chocolate-Fudge Pudding Cake

Weekend Entertaining Menu
Herb & Lemon Roast Chicken
Garlicky Green Beans
Blueberries with Lemon Cream

Simple Lunch Menu
Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta
Warm Bean & Arugula Salad
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Click here for more great menus.

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More on Diabetic Diet:

Video: How to use Whole Grains to Keep your Blood Sugar in Balance

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EatingWell Homepage: News, Recipes, Health
EatingWell's BEST Menu Ideas

USER COMMENTS — Add Your Comment

Tom, You might find EatingWell's alcohol substitution guide helpful: www.eatingwell.com/eat_drink/food_guides/alcohol_substitution.html

P.W., Huntington Beach, CA

I noticed you include wine in a lot of your recipes, I love cooking with wine however I am a recovering alcoholic, I know the alch. is burned off but I would rather not have it in the house, any subst. beside de-alched. wine. Thanks

Tom, Manchester, NJ

My Parents love eating, both of them are diabetic. Give us more guides or tips to avoid eating fatty foods and more carbohydrate.

Maricon, Lipa, PH

I would like to know more about eating good for diabetes also. I eat food like string beans, collard greans, apinach, corn on the cob, whole wheat bread 100% whole wheat bread i also eat sweets. What i really mean is that i eat common foods please advise me on how i can eat these kind of food and stay healthy.

Sherry, Houston, TX

Very good article - very informative.

Fran Carrathers, Rochester, NY

It is wonderful to have your site provided and free. Very helpful to help keep a family healthy. Thank you, Rose Ann.

Rose Ann James, Birdsboro, PA

My wife is a diabetic, we live in Africa, pls give us a ghananian simple menu.

Paul Thompson, Accra, GH

Try Zevia, Sugar Free, All Natural Soda. The Cola is the best. We diabetics need to stay away from artificial sweeteners.

Stacey, Seattle, WA

I am a diabetic and I love to snack on dry cereal. When I go to the store to purchase them they contain so much sugar on it. Which is the best cereal to snack on? And I also love orange juice and since that is not allowed in the diabetic diet what sugar free drink mix can I buy to have that orange juice flavor?

Sandra Hurt, Bluefield, WV

Kashi makes some very low sugar cereals, try the 7 grain one! There is also a recipe for 7th heaven apple bake with kashi and oatmeal (i subsitute apple juice for where it says cane juice). It's out of this world!

Lauren, Brooklyn, NY

I have recently been diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes. I do not know how to cook or what to cook to satisfy my taste & what type of sweets I can have.

Deborah, Magnolia, TX

I am a diabetic type 2 i need to know more about it.

dorina, Cary, NC

I use the juice of a fresh grapefruit in recipes that call for white wine, and a little diluted grape juice with lemon juice in it for red wine. Works great!

Diane Maria B., Leesburg, VA

I just started usign Insulin, and over weight. Nothing I eat seem to hold me especially what can I do. I'm in th kitchen 11:30 at night cooking, making MeatLoaf sandwiches.. Help!

Sharon, Burleson, TX

My taste is more to home cooking. Normal stuff like rice, pizza, sandwiches, and etc. I am on the go. I don't have the time to plan, shop, and cook. The recipes sound ok but I would not eat them all the time. I have switched to brown rice, thin crust pizza and small portions.

Cheryl, , CO

Using unsweetened juice are a great substitute for wine in cooking. Cherry for Red and White Grape for a white wine. Trader Joe's is a great resource for them at a reasonable price too.

DS, Campbell, CA

Im from africa, i 2 years now in Germany but since i came here my blood sugar is always high some docs gives me tabs some tells me i need only diet and to walk alot cos maybe in future i can be diabetic. What shoul i eat?

Lucy, Stuttgart, Ge

In the text above, you state, "(and between 1 to 2 1/2 carbohydrate servings). However, practically all of featured recipes have many more carbohydrates; quite confusing!

Gopal Kapur, Roseville, CA

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